Letter from John Forbes to Joseph Sabine [secretary of the Horticultural Society of London], Horticultural Society, Regent Street, London

Title

Letter from John Forbes to Joseph Sabine [secretary of the Horticultural Society of London], Horticultural Society, Regent Street, London

Record type

Archive

Original Reference

RHS/Col/3/5/24

Date

12 Sep 1822

Scope & content

Written from Simon's Town [Cape of Good Hope, South Africa]

Postmarked ('India letter Portsmouth'). An opened seal is attached to the letter

Marked at the top of the page 'No 13'. Annotated at the top of page: 'Joseph Sabine received Nov 20 1822'

He is sending three boxes containing orchideous and other plants by the pilot transport due to sail within a few days; the boxes are about a foot square, open with bars of wood across the top, and the plants packed in damp moss; he is sending a large case containing specimens from Rio de Janeiro [Brazil], those specimens from Cape of Good Hope which are dry enough, and some bird skins 'agreeable to the lists'; he is sending another box containing bulbs and bird skins; the two last mentioned boxes will be left in the care of D.J. Cloete [Daniel Jacob Cloete] ('an East India Company agent') in Cape Town [South Africa], to be forwarded to London; he has been obliged to draw two more bills, altogether for £32, to pay for travelling expenses, making boxes and the carriage of plants; he is taking some of the money with him to the coast: 'there will be no more drawing bills after we leave this [place]'; they are sailing the following day to Algoa Bay [South Africa]; letters and parcels are to be sent to Cloete in Cape Town; he will forward in due course the parts of his journal currently left blank; 'Captain Owen [William FitzWilliam Owen, captain of HMS Leven] has engaged the services of Baron D. Richmond [Philippe Panon Desbassayns de Richemont, governor of the Isle of Bourbon], a gentleman of considerable influence who resides in the Isle of Bourbon [Reunion, France]; he has a very good knowledge of natural history in general and is desirous of becoming useful to the Society as a corresponding member'; he will write to Richmond to let him know what would be most useful for the Society

Extent

3 page letter (1 sheet)

Is part of

RHS archive: plant collector papers

Repository

Royal Horticultural Society Lindley Library

Copyright

Royal Horticultural Society

Credit Line

RHS Lindley Collections

Usage terms

Non-commercial use with attribution permitted (CC BY-NC 4.0)